The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1887-04-09

the idolatrous worship of the aborigines
of the soil-whiie greater number of
the peasantry suppose that they com
memorate by those nocturnal illumina-
tions, general massacre of the ancient
enemies of the land, the unfortunate
Danes, who were (as the cottage his
torians assert) all slaughtered one fine
summer evening (the signal for the gen
eral uprising of the oppressed natives
being a number of beacon fires, lighted
on every hill, hillock, mount and noun
tain throughout the country)-and who
hvae left no other memorial of their
dearly purchased conquest in this still
unsubdued, though often conquered
island-than the ruined lish. or fort,
through whose woody covering the
night wind signs above their bones-or
the mouldered and almost rust-eaten
coin that is thrown up by the blaster or
quarter in the lonely regions of the in
land-to furnish matter Of speculation
to some pantalooned and specialized
antiquarian of the r. 1. A.-Or Dublin
Society.
The fires had already been lighted on
the fields adjacent to Drumscanlon,
when Lilly Byrne, having discharged,
as was her never-failing custom, all her
household duties to the very letter
given the servants their dinner-cut out
the slim-cake for the evening-set some
| milk il. a saucer for the counted
all the linen into the press seen the
ducks, hens and chickens fed-the COWS
milked-the dairy set in order-the gar
den gate locked-the butter printed
the mouse-traps baited-and the dough
set by the fre-when Lilly Byrne, hav-
ing discharged, We say, all those duties,
sat in her chamber making her little
preparations with an aching heart, at
her toilet, to perform a cheerful part
among small family tea-party, who
were invited to spend the evening at
Drumscanlon.
Poor Lilly's toilet was not now a
matter of very excessive labor or con-
Germ to her. She was careful to omit
nothing in the adjustment Of her dress
"a simple suit of mourning) which the
general custom Of the time rendered
absolutely necessary to prevent the ap-
pearance of affectation or disrespect-
full singularity; but no adornment that
a positive feeling of duty did not point
out to her, was any longer used. Human
motive was now fatally quelled within
her bosom, and she no longer felt those
little struggles between her love for
things lawful though dangerous" and
her fears of secret vanity, which had
given rise to nearly all the trials of her
girlish virtue, when there was reason
why she should look to good advantage
in other eyes than her own. She re-
jected, therefore, the fine jet necklace
which her mother had left upon her
table, and contented herself with the
plain silk ribbon and black cross which
lay near it, in one of the little recesses
{ of her dressing-box.
In lettering among the now neglected
trinkets which were thrown together in
the casket, she removeda piece of paper,
folded, and marked on the outside in
her own handwriting las if by the way
of index to the contents), with the
initials r. K. Those contents were a
song adapted by her lover to one of the
old ballad airs of the country, which
Lilly had often sung to her harpsichord
(when the young gentleman was not
present, for she was far too scrupulous to
fatter his vanity at any time by letting
him hear how she honored it)-and
which, as Lilly did think it worth sing
ing, we shall venture to transcribe:
| THE WANDERERS RETURN.
I've come unto my home again and find myself
The friends left in quiet there are persisted all
T and gone.
NV fathers house is tenantless--my early loves
But one remains of all that made my youthful
spirit glow!
My loves lies by the blushing West, drest in a
robe of green,
And pleasant waters sing to her and know her for
their queen:
The wild winds fan her face, that DER the distant
pillows come
She is my last remaining love-my own-my
island home.
n.